New Year’s : The Party After the Night Before

After the hubbub of New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day is refreshingly quiet. Everyone’s a little tired, but friends and family drop by and the atmosphere is still holiday.

Several years ago I hit upon a hair-of-the-dog party menu that was a real success, both for the cook and the company. A warm, spicy, nonalcoholic drink to serve by the fire, crunchy bruschetta (toast topped with ricotta and roasted sweet red peppers) and a platter of vegetarian fajitas with two salsas.

The charm of the menu is twofold. By Jan. 1, many party-goers crave simplicity. This menu is essentially made of fresh vegetables, great breads and interesting spices. No elaborate sauces or finicky arrangements.

Secondly, it’s more than self-service, it’s make-your-own. People really enjoy rolling their own fajitas, choosing the fiery or the mild salsa.

*

You can make this punch several days ahead of time, refrigerate it in a large jug, then reheat it as needed. For the party, I bring it to a boil, transfer it to a slow-cooker set on low and replenish supplies as needed.

CRAN-APPLE AND MAPLE NOG

1 quart apple cider

2 cups fresh orange juice

1 to 2 cinnamon sticks

1 cup real maple syrup

1 quart lemonade

1 (6-ounce) can frozen undiluted cranberry juice, thawed

1 lemon

10 whole cloves

Place cider, orange juice, cinnamon sticks, maple syrup, lemonade and undiluted cranberry juice in large soup pot and set over medium heat. Halve lemon and stick cut ends with cloves. Add to cider. Cover and simmer 1 hour. Adjust sweetness to taste by adding more maple syrup if needed. Serve warm. Makes 8 servings.

Variation: Remove lemons before transferring punch to slow-cooker. Float slices of 2 unpeeled seedless oranges and 1 unpeeled green apple on top. Set 1 mug of whole cinnamon sticks alongside as beverage stirrers.

BRUSCHETTA WITH RICOTTA AND ROASTED SWEET RED PEPPERS

8 (3/4-inch-thick) slices crusty French bread

1/2 cup light ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise

2 tablespoons nonfat yogurt

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup bottled roasted sweet red peppers, drained and divided into 8 portions

Toasted bread

Combine ricotta, mayonnaise, yogurt and cheese in blender container and process until smooth. Spread on toasted bread. Top each slice with 1 piece of sweet red pepper. Set on platter and cover with plastic wrap until serving time.

Or place cheese-covered bruschetta on foil-lined 13x9-inch baking sheet. Broil until lightly brown. Then top with roasted sweet red pepper. Serve hot, or at room temperature. Makes 8 slices.

ROASTED VEGETABLE FAJITAS

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 to 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 onion, thinly sliced into rings

2 tablespoons minced garlic or to taste

1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Juice 1 lime

1 large zucchini, cut into thirds, then into long strips

2 sweet red peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips

1/2 pound jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1 cup fat-free sour cream or nonfat yogurt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

16 (6-inch) flour tortillas, warmed

Spicy Green Sauce or Papaya Salsa, optional

Combine 1 teaspoon oil and 1/4 cup vinegar in 10-inch heavy non-stick skillet. Set over medium-high heat. When simmering, add onion slices and garlic. Saute, stirring frequently, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes, adding tablespoons of additional vinegar if vegetables begin to stick. Sprinkle with cilantro and lime juice. Set aside.

Brush zucchini, sweet red peppers and jicama with remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Place on rack or broiler pan. Grill or broil at high heat, turning once, until tender and slightly browned. Remove to platter.

Combine sour cream and cumin in small bowl.

To assemble fajitas, spread small amount of onion mixture on warm tortilla. Top with few pieces of roasted vegetables, then dollop of sour cream mixture. Add Spicy Green Sauce or Papaya Salsa. Roll and serve. Makes 8 servings.

*

This green chile sauce is a cooked salsa. It can be made up to a week ahead, then reheated briefly before serving with the fajitas. Adjust amount of hot chiles to taste.

Spicy Green Sauce

1/4 cup vegetable broth

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

1/3 cup chopped green pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatillos

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped jalapeno chiles in vinegar

1 tablespoon mild white vinegar

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Heat broth and oil in 10-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, green pepper and garlic. Saute until tender but not brown, stirring frequently.

Add tomatillos and cumin and saute 10 minutes. Add chiles, vinegar and cilantro. Saute 3 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 8 servings as side sauce with fajitas.

*

As an option, serve this cooling salsa with the fajitas to offset the fire of the green sauce.

Papaya Salsa

3/4 cup peeled, seeded and diced ripe papaya

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup diced green pepper

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Salt, pepper

Combine papaya, onion, green pepper, cilantro, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste in small bowl. Cover and chill 30 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings as side sauce.